Rangers face fresh competition for striker target Ibrahima Balde, with Ligue 1 side FC Lorient now pursuing the 23-year-old. The post Lorient ‘Activated Their Pursuit’ Of Rangers Striker Target appeared first on Inside Futbol | Latest Football News, Transfer Rumours & Articles.
With the Palmeiras' Copa do Brasil clash looming, Neymar hit back to the criticism claiming he only features against small teams with Santos. Neymar found himself back in the crosshairs of Brazilian football fans, facing accusations of ducking marquee matchups to feature exclusively against lesser opponents. With the second leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals against Palmeiras rapidly approaching, the Santos star offered a direct rebuttal to his vocal critics. Having already missed significant time during the 2026 campaign, criticism intensified after he was omitted entirely from the matchday squad for last Wednesday’s opening leg against Palmeiras. While concerns over the artificial turf at Allianz Parque were cited for his absence, a humbling 3-0 loss drew intense scrutiny toward Neymar and his non-participation in one of the club’s most critical fixtures of the season. After returning to spark a 1-0 derby victory over Corinthians, Neymar addressed the narrative head-on during an interview with Brazilian network Premiere: “They said I came to play against small teams, and it was never like that. Quite the contrary. I’ve always liked big games, because that’s where you see who the best players are. My entire career has been like that, and it’s not for nothing that, if I’m not mistaken, I’m the 3rd or 4th top scorer in finals.“ Neymar’s self-assessment holds up under scrutiny, as he currently ranks fourth all-time in career goals scored in finals with 21. He trails only an elite tier of legendary figures, sitting behind Lionel Messi at the top with 35, Pele with 31, and Cristiano Ronaldo holding third with 25 goals in cup finals. Neymar, sobre o jogo de volta das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil contra o Palmeiras:“A gente vai jogar para se divertir. A responsabilidade é toda do segundo melhor time do país, que é o Palmeiras. A responsabilidade é deles. Nós vamos nos divertir na quarta-feira, na… pic.twitter.com/TUBV4QLHjz— LIBERTA DEPRE (@liberta___depre) August 30, 2026 The Santos playmaker then offered clarity regarding how his omission from the first leg against Palmeiras actually unfolded. “Unfortunately, lately, I ended up getting hurt. Against Palmeiras I was available, I even had adapted boots. It was a boot with shorter studs, for turf, I asked Puma to make them. But it was a decision by the coaching staff (to leave him out of the game). If the game had ended 0-0 or 1-1, everyone would be calling Cuca ‘Master Cuca‘,” he noted regarding Santos’ manager. Through the 2026 season following his recovery from major knee surgery, Neymar has produced eight goals and eight assists across 23 appearances, operating as the central catalyst for Santos’ attack. However, a combination of workload management, suspensions, and minor physical setbacks has forced him to miss 14 matches for Peixe, fueling the narrative surrounding his availability. Neymar looking to ‘have fun’ in second leg against Palmeiras Bouncing back from his night off against Palmeiras, Neymar rejoined the starting lineup for the derby against Corinthians, creating four key chances, completing two dribbles, and drawing three fouls in a gritty 1-0 win to keep Santos climbing away from the bottom four. Now holding a four-point cushion over 17th-place Vasco Da Gama in the relegation zone, attention shifts squarely back to the Copa do Brasil. On Wednesday, September 2, Santos host Palmeiras at Vila Belmiro tasked with overturning a steep three-goal aggregate deficit, though Neymar remains optimistic about their chances: “I didn’t expect a 3-0, but that’s football… there are comebacks, there are games where the extraordinary happens. Who knows, maybe it can happen on Wednesday… We’re going to play to have fun.“ The Santos icon concluded by placing the competitive pressure squarely on their cross-state rivals heading into the return leg. “The game is 0-0 for us, and for me is just another game for me to have fun. The responsibility belongs to the second best team i
With his poker at Inter Miami, Lionel Messi climbed to second position as soccer's all-time free-kick goalscorer. Lionel Messi once again commanded global headlines with a majestic four-goal masterclass in Inter Miami‘s latest blowout victory. With two of those strikes coming directly from dead-ball situations, Messi moved into a tie for second place on soccer’s all-time direct free-kick scoring list. Hosting Saturday’s MLS clash against CF Montreal with the match leveled at 1-1, Messi put on a show starting with a 40th-minute free kick to spark a dominant performance for the Herons. Initial questions arose over whether the attempt would be ruled an own goal by Luca Petrasso following a heavy deflection past goalkeeper Thomas Gillier, but because the initial shot was target-bound, MLS officials awarded the goal to the Argentine star. Messi followed up with open-play goals in the 52nd and 83rd minutes to extend the margin to 3-1 and 5-1 before capping his four-goal performance with a sublime stoppage-time free kick, securing a 7-1 victory for Inter Miami. The performance vaulted him to the top of the 2026 MLS golden boot standings while adding two crucial set-piece strikes to his career ledger. The dual-set-piece performance against Montreal elevates Lionel Messi into second place on the all-time free-kick leaderboard. Messi pushed his career total to 74 direct free-kick goals, tying legendary Brazilian forward Jair Rosa Pinto for second place while pulling within four of Marcelinho Carioca’s all-time mark of 78. A poker. Sit back and enjoy the magic. 🩷🔟 pic.twitter.com/Z2xiX03Bxp— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 30, 2026 Saturday’s performance against Montreal marked just the fourth time in Messi’s career that he scored multiple free-kick goals in a single match, and his first such effort in an Inter Miami uniform. The previous three occurrences all came in an FC Barcelona shirt: first in the 2015 UEFA Super Cup final against Sevilla on August 11, followed by a La Liga clash against Espanyol on December 8, 2018, and most recently against Celta Vigo on November 9, 2019. The two set-piece strikes against Montreal accounted for his third and fourth free-kick goals of 2026 for Inter Miami, lifting his total with the Herons to 10. Seven of those have come in MLS play, leaving him within striking distance of the league record of 13 set by Toronto FC icon Sebastian Giovinco. Top 10 free-kick goalscorers of all time Following Messi’s set-piece brace, the all-time top 10 direct free-kick goalscorers stand as follows: Marcelinho Carioca (Brazil): 78 goalsLionel Messi (Argentina): 74 goalsJair Rosa Pinto (Brazil): 74 goalsRoberto Dinamite (Brazil): 73 goalsJuninho Pernambucano (Brazil): 72 goalsMarcos Assuncao (Brazil): 68 goalsSinisa Mihajlovic (Serbia): 67 goalsJorge Aravena (Chile): 65Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): 64 goalsZico (Brazil): 62 goals Messi’s free-kick breakdown FC Barcelona: 50 goalsArgentina: 12 goalsInter Miami: 10 goalsPSG: 2 goals Can Messi reach the top spot? Lionel Messi has demonstrated since arriving at Inter Miami that his competitive drive remains intact even into the twilight of his career. Having already shattered numerous MLS records, his set-piece conversion rate continues to bolster his overall goal tally, raising the question of whether the 39-year-old icon can claim sole possession of first place before retirement. Back in 2025, Messi converted three free kicks for Inter Miami, a mark he has already eclipsed in 2026 with four set-piece strikes for the Herons alongside one for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, bringing his calendar-year total to five. Maintaining an average of four to five free-kick goals per year through his Inter Miami contract running through December 2028 provides Messi more than enough runway to equal and eventually surpass Marcelinho Carioca’s standard.
Cristiano Ronaldo's dream to claim the 2026 World Cup with Portugal has begun, currently at the Round of 32. Cristiano Ronaldo, even at 41 years old, remains a central figure for both his club, Al Nassr, and the Portugal national team. Still drawing global attention, the key question now is when the legendary striker will take the field again. Cristiano Ronaldo’s next game with Al Nassr is scheduled for Saturday, September 5, when they visit Al Ittihad for Matchday 5 in the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League at Al Awwal Park. The Portuguese star heads to the game after scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 win against Al Taawoun. The icon’s 2026-27 international campaign with Portugal following the 2026 World Cup is set to begin on Thursday, September 24, when they host Wales for Matchday 1 of the of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League. The forward’s last World Cup game came on July 6th, where Spain beat the Selecao in the Round of 16 with a narrow 1-0 win. In the 2026-27 season, which he has stated could be his last one as professional soccer player, the Portuguese icon scored 2 goals and provided 0 assists in 3 games for Al Nassr, while netting 5 goals in 5 UEFA World Cup qualifiers and 3 in the 2026 World Cup for Portugal, with his personal account in 978 career goals. Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal celebrates scoring a goal. Ronaldo faced long break due to FIFA schedule After his stunning bicycle-kick goal against Al Khaleej, Cristiano Ronaldo was rested for Al Nassr’s midweek AFC Champions League Two match. But from that point forward, the Portuguese star endured a 24-day gap without competitive action, a result of the upcoming FIFA competition schedule. From December 1 through 18, Qatar hosted the second edition of the FIFA Arab Cup, with the final between Morocco and Jordan played at Lusail Stadium, the same venue as the 2022 World Cup final. With several Saudi Pro League players involved, including stars of the Saudi Arabian national team, clubs, including Al Nassr, were unable to meet domestic player requirements, forcing the SPL into a temporary pause during the tournament.
Lionel Messi delivered a marvelous performance against CF Montreal, scoring four goals for Inter Miami, but when was the last time Cristiano Ronaldo achieved the same feat in a single match? On a night when Inter Miami needed him most, Lionel Messi etched his name into the history books by scoring four goals in a dominant 7-1 victory over CF Montreal. Messi’s masterclass immediately ignited a familiar question among soccer fans worldwide: when was the last time Cristiano Ronaldo scored four goals in a single match? The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo has fueled debate for more than two decades. Even as both icons reach the final chapters of their legendary careers, every milestone achieved by one is instantly benchmarked against the accomplishments of the other. Messi’s four-goal display against Montreal sparked fresh comparisons of how both superstars stack up when delivering single-game scoring outbursts. When did Cristiano Ronaldo last score four goals? Cristiano Ronaldo last scored four goals in a single game on February 9, 2023, while playing for Al Nassr. The Portuguese forward scored all four goals in a 4-0 victory over Al-Wehda in the Saudi Pro League. Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr Career 4-goal games: Ronaldo leads the tally While Messi delivered the most recent four-goal performance, Ronaldo holds the all-time record between the two for most four-goal matches. Cristiano Ronaldo: 11 games with 4+ goals (9 with Real Madrid, 1 with Portugal, 1 with Al-Nassr)Lionel Messi: 8 games with 4+ goals (7 with Barcelona, 1 with Inter Miami) Peak single-game outbursts: Tied at five goals When measuring maximum scoring output in a single match, both legends remain deadlocked at five goals: PlayerFirst 5-Goal MatchSecond 5-Goal MatchLionel Messivs. Bayer Leverkusen (UEFA Champions League, 2012)vs. Estonia (International Friendly, 2022)Cristiano Ronaldovs. Granada (LaLiga, 2015)vs. Espanyol (LaLiga, 2015)
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